The British Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, responded yesterday to accusations by the Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Mubarak, that Britain was harbouring terrorists by stressing his commitment to cracking down on extremists.
"Tackling international terrorism is a top priority for this government," Mr Straw said in a statement.
A spokeswoman at Mr Straw's office denied Britain granted asylum to convicted terrorists, saying asylum was granted only on the grounds established under the United Nations' 1951 convention on refugees.